Fruit conveyer



Feb. 25, 1936. T. CATON FRUIT CONVEYER Filed April 16, 1935 ATTORNEY Feo 25, 1936. 1-. CATON FRUIT CONVEYER Filed April 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a S m 7 T R O T N E V m ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES morr converse Thomas Caton, Millbrook, N. Y.

Application April 16,

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a fruit conveyer and more especially to a combined ladder and fruit gatherer.

The primary object ofthe invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein a tube or pipe is constructed to permit the introduction or admission of fruit when pulled from a tree, plant or the like growing the same at one or more points removed from the uppermost end of said tube or pipe when the same is carried by a ladder and on its elevation so that a person upon the ladder may conveniently collect or gather the pulled fruit should he or she be standing on a rung out of reach of the upper open end of the tube or pipe and thus avoid the necessity of climbing the ladder to a high point as may be required for access to the upper open end of said tube or pipe and thus assuring ease in the gathering of the fruit and the handling thereof with dispatch.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the tube or pipe serves as a conveyer spout for the feeding of the gathered fruit to a depository or a receiver and the pulled fruit can be dispensed from the tube or pipe at determined or selected intervals and at the will of the user of the device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the tube or pipe serving as a conveyer or spout for loose gathered fruit is novel in its construction to permit of the easy placing of the pulled fruit within such tube or pipe at points along the uppermost portions of the said tube or pipe or through the upper open end of the same, this affording convenience in the gathering of the fruit and dispatch in the handling of such fruit and also ease in the conveyance of the picked mm: to a point of deposit of the same when an operator is upon a ladder and thus avoiding excessive climbing of the ladder for gathering purposes and demounting therefrom for the deposit by hand of the fruit after gathering of the same, and. the fruit when being gathered and dispensed will be relieved of damage, resultant from bruising or otherwise.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its purposes, mountable upon and carried by a ladder, convenient of access and for service in dispensing gathered fruit, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the in-' vention consists in the features of construction,

1935, Serial No. 16,683

combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed outin the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figurel is a fragmentary elevation of a fruit tree showing the device related thereto and constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through the device and showing a fruit being introduced thereinto.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figured looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the device.

Figure 'l is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrows and fragmentary.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation.

Figure 10 is a. sectional view on the line Iii-Ii] of Figure 7 looking in the direction oi the arrows.

Figure 11 is a sectional view on the line i l-l l of Figure '7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal seetional View through the dispensing or discharge end of the device.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the dispensing or discharge end.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of this end showing by full lines the gate closed and by dotted lines open.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally a ladder of the rung type and is of the required length serviceable in gathering fruit from a tree, plant or the like to permit the pulling of the fruit therefrom. Mounted upon and carried by the ladder A is a'tube or pipe B including a skeleton frame having swinging links l0 and pivotal joint hoops ii, the pivots [2 being for the purpose of connecting the 1mm [0 together and with the hoops I l, and the latter preferably equally distanced from each other throughout the extent'of the tube or pipe and the approximate lower half of said tube or pipe has its frame carrying a fabric covering l3 while the remaining upper bell of selol lube or m le has its frame cerrylng bell cylinorlcol sheet metal coverings l 'l which ere coerzbenslve with the inner halves of the hoops ll of sold imme while the outer: holves of solo hoops have hung therefrom flexible fabric cmtclnc lla, cock loeving a. free lowermcci; eclge 96 which is overlapped by an adjacent hoop l l as will lie next thereto. This cm'taln l5 permits one introduction borough the skeleton frame at zllfiereni; points clone the outer side of fihe upperlzolf of the tube or plue B. lit is, of course, underctom thet'llle upper end ll of the tube or pipe B is open and fruit; pulled from o tree C, plant or one like moo be dropped therethrough in the economy; olsuch fruit. it should be apparent from l and 2 of the drevzlngs that pulled fruit e5 oi: B may be dropped by hand into the tube or pipe B oi; selected points along the outer elolc of the some or through the open upper end ll thereof.

The upper half of the tube or pipe 1% lo fixedly held by clamps He continued from a poll: of the hoops ll, preferably the one oi; the moon enal ll and another at the meeting of the upner and lower halves of the tube or pipe and these clumps lll erredetochobly secured to one side roll lb of the ladder A so that the upper half of the tube or pipe B will be held rlglcl thereon for the ex tent of seid'upper half. It is preferable behave this upper half of the tube or pipe B follow the uppermost portion of the ladder A.

The lower open end. of the tube. or plpc B is normally closed by e gate or closure lceocl 2o swlngingly supported by e, turning plvov ll. journelcd in bearings 22 of c. yoke mount 23, the

pivot El hovlng fixed thereto e throw em or crank all to which is fastened one end of m re lensing rope or cable as trained through c pulley blcckfifil hung upon on upper rung 2'17 of the ladder A and passed over the pulley of sold block downwardly of the lodcler with lte other end wrapped at El about e, lowermost rung 2b of cold ladder. Thin downwardly extending norolon of eoceece the rope or cable has included 2. ccllecl retractllc spring cc located between the block 28 and the wrapped end 28, the purpose or the spring being to hold the gate or head 2%! closed for rcfielolno' fruit vaitlaln the tube or pipe and on the slackem log of the rope or cable 25 by relieving the tension of the spring 30 thereon o. spring ll carried by the pivot 28 and working against the gate or head. as becomes active for the throwing or swinging of the sold gate or head 28 to open positionfor the discharge of the contents of the tube or pipe for the delivery of such contents into o. receiver 32 or other depository. The lower hell of the tube or pipe B is readily fiexlole and belne free from ottecnrnent to the ladder can be bent conveniently for directing the diacharge from the tube or pipe directly lnto the recelver M.

A person ctendlng upon the ladder is not; recull-ed to ascend the some for access to the upper oncn end. ll of the tube or pipe B for the placing of pulled fruit wlthln the latter because such fruit may be dropped. into the said tube or pipe at varying points along the outer side' of the some confronted by the curtalna ll and on gathcrime a quantity of fruit within the tube or pipe B such person need not (lemount from the ladder for elfecting the discharge ct the collected mm: as it will be only necessary to open the-gate or head 20 and the gathered fruit will by gravity from the tube or pipe into the depository or container 32 as before set forth.

. what is claimed is:

In a, fruit conveyer, a. flexible tube lnvlnz tension upon said cable.

THOMAS CATCH. 

